KUALA LUMPUR: It turns out that professional shuttler Lai Pei Jing was not the first notable Malaysian shuttler to be scammed.
Former world No. 1 Tan Boon Heong suffered a similar fate, resulting in about RM2.5 million in losses to an investment scam.
In light of the news of Pei Jing losing her life savings to scammers, Boon Heong took to social media to tell his own ordeal.
"Seeing my fellow shuttler getting scammed reminds me of when I was scammed too," wrote Boon Heong on his Facebook page.
"Every scam you fall for teaches you something. That's just life — you can't avoid the detours. Everyone has to take at least one.
"Remember, putting your hard-earned money into someone else's hands and expecting to get it back is unlikely. I suggest focusing on what you can control. If you can't control it, don't get involved."
Boon Heong later went live on Facebook, detailing how he was defrauded not just once, but twice, by people he knew, including a friend whose child was also a badminton player. That friend has since "vanished."
Boon Heong explained that the reason why he recounted his misfortune was to emphasize the importance of being cautious when investing.
He suggested that people who want to invest should perform due diligence and understand the risks of the investment. He advised avoiding investments that seem too good to be true, as these could very well be scam traps.
"I was scammed twice, once for US$500,000 (RM2.3 million) and another time for RM160,000. If you really want to invest, you should be the 'banker,' not the 'player,'" said Boon Heong.
He added: "I don't know how much my fellow shuttler was scammed for, nor do I know the details of the scam. My purpose in going live is just to remind everyone to be cautious when investing."